(Topic ID: 232188)

Shrunken Plastics

By Isochronic_Frost

5 years ago



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Topic poll

“Best way to fix shrunken plastics”

  • Oven method 0 votes
  • Heat gun + stretch 0 votes
  • Buy new plastics (not gonna happen) 3 votes
    100%

(3 votes)

This poll has been closed.

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#1 5 years ago

Hello pinsiders!
I’ve reached the final step in my Mars Trek restoration, at which point I will post the entire thing as one big piece.

My finally snag is that it appears my plastics have shrunken so severely since I took them off a month ago, they are almost a complete INCH off center. Pictures below for reference of the biggest and worst plastic.

How can I make them fit? Do I hit them with the heat gun and stretch them? Do I attempt the dangerous oven trick?

I am at a loss. I do not want to risk snapping or breaking these plastics, so any suggestions are appreciated!

4ED3B661-48D0-4DAF-BE48-0211E8EAF3F5.jpeg4ED3B661-48D0-4DAF-BE48-0211E8EAF3F5.jpeg68C6248C-33C2-43A3-B47F-85B3C2E52516.jpeg68C6248C-33C2-43A3-B47F-85B3C2E52516.jpeg7D0E4CCE-741C-4A87-A53E-7D801649FCF7.jpeg7D0E4CCE-741C-4A87-A53E-7D801649FCF7.jpegBCF9C79D-F4ED-4D65-A247-60BF52B22AB5.jpegBCF9C79D-F4ED-4D65-A247-60BF52B22AB5.jpeg
#2 5 years ago

I think it's just an assembly issue, something isn't right. I don't think the plastics would shrink.

Rob

#3 5 years ago

Is that large piece flat, and not warped?
You might of missed the placement of one or two posts.

Look at the photos on the IPDB that large plastic over hangs the shooter lane, and the flipper is uncovered. Is it possible that the lower 2 posts might be in the wrong position (maybe). Also do not forget that not each machine was assembled the same.

Do not use a heat gun, as you might damage the fragile artwork on the underside of the plastic. With a small rat tail file, you could carefully elongate any of the holes to aid in fitting the plastic.

#4 5 years ago

Oven isn't going to help unless the plastic isn't flat. Do you have calipers or something? If you measure the plastic hole to hole I can compare with mine.

#5 5 years ago

The playfield could have gotten bigger.

#6 5 years ago
Quoted from Cdemuro:

The playfield could have gotten bigger.

LOL

#7 5 years ago

Har har har...

Quoted from zacaj:

Oven isn't going to help unless the plastic isn't flat. Do you have calipers or something? If you measure the plastic hole to hole I can compare with mine.

Right now on the biggest plastic this is what I’m measuring.

Also I’ve loosened the posts and tapped them gently and I’m just barely getting them to fit. The plastic is chipped and warped. The backend that should be flat against the shooter lane is curved pretty seriously.

3C06657F-000D-4997-9B11-86FBC2BAB461.jpeg3C06657F-000D-4997-9B11-86FBC2BAB461.jpegEB2CEB18-C6EB-4436-B053-525DF2660A7F.jpegEB2CEB18-C6EB-4436-B053-525DF2660A7F.jpeg9344C250-6114-4CC8-BEA5-A0777AB91947.jpeg9344C250-6114-4CC8-BEA5-A0777AB91947.jpeg
#8 5 years ago

If it’s curved then that would explain the holes not lining up. Try the oven method to flatten it back out, I have had good luck with that.

1 year later
#9 4 years ago

My bad for necroposting but I realized I never posted my solution. I used the two pieces of glass in the sun method with weight on the top.
Then a couple still had some curve and weird wavy-ness to them, so I took took a heat gun on low and smooshed them between the glass and clamped them down.

Either way, the sun or the heat gun worked just fine. Also I had to loosen up the posts to get a little extra wiggle room out of them.

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